Love, Magic and Fear
by Veor Hrdenda
Summary: After returning to Gravity Falls every summer at Sixteen Dipper and Mabel find new threats rising in the town. The twins are forced to deal with these problems with old and new-ish allies. Inspired by Thaumaturgy. Leans far more to the fantasy side of Gravity Falls Rated T because violence. Also Dipper and Pacifica are a thing in this because ships.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi. Hello. Other Greetings. So to those of you who might be worried about the updates on my Monster Falls story, Fae and Beasts, don't be. This isn't a replacement for that, well, maybe in the future, and I guess this week, but I decided to write up a chapter of this instead of a chapter for that story for the reason that with this I know what I'm doing. I've got a start, and a finish and the time-range is far shorter than the other, I know entirely what's going on and there shouldn't be any awkward starts and stops, and also I'm writing the beginning, and while starting a beginning is hard, it isn't as hard as middles. Anyway I've got far more ideas for this than my other story at current.**

 **That said, this is a longer story but for now will act as a one-off part one, Pilot-y thing, until I finish one of my other stories or have the time to properly write this one up. So, on that note this first chapter should incorporate the main ideas of my story.**

 **Large influences on this story were, Thaumaturgy by synnworld, and I guess just general urban-fantasy ideas, or... High Fantasy too I guess a bit? Really just general fantasy...**

 **Anyway Random Unnecessary Disclaimer: I do not currently own, nor ever have owned Gravity Falls.**

 **Cool, as I say in every single one of my stories review. Sure it might be like, two months before I get back to you, but what do you have to lose?**

* * *

 **The Heroes Return (again):**

A small red car pulled up to the old-looking shack in the thick pine tree forest. The sun was high in the sky, and the summer warmth flooded the woods, the shadows were short, and yet so much was hidden in them. A brown haired teenager in a dark-blue vest, grey-jeans, and a red-pink shirt stepped out of the car, placing a brightly-colored hat with a pinetree on his head. His features were round, and his eyes were a muddy brown, that occasionally seemed to light up when a sudden thought struck him.

There was a click, and a girl with the same light brow hair appeared, she was dressed in short-shorts, a loose pink sweater that slipped off her shoulders, and she had a hair clip in her hair which was colored a sparkling pink. Her eyes were the same as the boy's, and they looked extremely similar, both had the same round features.

At the sound of the car the door to the Shack, a dark brown building with two stories and a sloping roof where the words 'Mystery Hack' hung perilously, opened. A large man stepped out, he had a slight stubble, a large round face, front teeth that were somewhat large, and a short sharp nose. His hair was dark brown but was mostly hidden by his hat, a Fez with a strange mark on it. He was dressed in a suit, and had a red bow-tie. He smiled when he saw them, "Woah, dudes what are you doing here, I mean, don't you usually take the bus or something?"

"Well we used to, but one of us, and I'm not going to say who, but it was totally me, can drive now, so we don't have to." The boy replied with a grin.

"Stop bragging Dip-dop, I'll be driving soon as well you know." The girl remarked, grabbing her bags which she swung over her shoulder.

"So, dude you want me to clear out the guest room or are you going to stay in that bunker like you did last year." The man asked.

"I plan to stay in the old lab again, but thanks for the offer Soos." The boy 'Dip-Dop' answered.

Another head appeared through the doorway, a college aged wit vibrant red-orange hair, and dark green eyes, she gave a grin when she saw the pair, "Dipper, Mabel, how's it going?"

"Good. Better for being in Gravity Falls again." Dipper 'Dip-dop' answered.

"Dipper's just saying that because he wants to see his girlfriend." Mabel said, as she walked into the Shack.

"Right, how is Paz by the way?" The red-haired girl asked.

"Good, I mean, I've only talked with her over phone calls and stuff so I don't know exactly. Sorry, by the way you asked how I was I forgot to ask how things have been going for you, you're in college now so how's that been?" Dipper asked.

"Oh you know, good, kind of like high school but I get to choose what I'm doing and when, so I mean, it's better than High School in a lot of ways." the red-haired girl answered.

"So Wendy, you want to hang out later or something, I was planning to go hang out with Candy and Grenda, it'd be great if you joined us, hey Paz could come as well." Mabel commented.

"You know she hates the name Paz right?" Dipper asked walking towards the basement.

"Yes." Both girls replied in unison.

"Yeah, I figured, it just felt like I had to intervene in someway." Dipper chuckled as he disappeared behind a vending machine, as the secret door closed behind him.

* * *

The blond haired girl turned to look at her bed where a small flat stone with on a necklace sat, a strange symbol glowed pink on the surface, and the girl smiled, her blue eyes flashing, purple-pink briefly. She moved across to her bed where she picked up the stone and pressed her thumb onto the surface, a moment later Dipper stepped through smiling at her.

"I didn't realize you were back yet." The girl said with a smile.

"Yeah, it's called a surprise Pacifica."

"I've never really liked surprises."

"Well that fits perfectly with everything I know about you."

The two teenagers kissed for a moment, then Pacifica pulled her head back with a smile, "I don't suppose my ever so wonderful Boyfriend could magic us up an actual date somewhere could he?"

"I suppose we'll find out tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow? Wait let me guess you have to go meet up with your nerd friends."

"Yeah that's the one, Mabel and Wendy told me to tell you they were hanging out and you were invited, so you've got stuff you can do, anyway, I'm sure you've got other things you could be doing."

"Sure Dip-dop."

"Right, ignore what I said about hanging out with Mabel, you obviously shouldn't spend anymore time with her."

"Oh no I need to go now, after all ignoring an invitation would be rude."

"You know half of me suspects that you three are conspiring against me."

"Dipper Pines, I can put your mind to rest on that matter, we are most certainly plotting against you." Pacifica replied smirking.

* * *

Dipper began walking down the dark stone steps into a dark basement, he held up a small paper note written on a flashcard. _Meet at Three_. Which wasn't really strange, the fact that it wasn't marked with an initial was a bit odd, but he supposed he could deal with it, as he stepped into a large stone chamber, gothic styled arches rose up from the ground in a circle and met in the center of the room where a low light filtered in. That was strange, the room was usually much brighter. As Dipper's last steps took him to a large stone table at the center of the room there was an explosion of light from off to one side and Dipper leapt to the ground sliding under the table. From the shadows a younger boy, maybe thirteen, appeared, his hair was pale white-blond, and he had light blue eyes. His clothes were baby blue, and they were well fitting nice looking clothes, an almost trenchcoat like Jacket, a dark suit underneath, and a baby blue tie.

"Oh come on Gideon! That's not fair, I mean I don't even have my staff yet!" Dipper yelled at the boy from under the table.

"Come on Pines, you should have thought of that before coming here." The boy, Gideon, yelled back.

"I wasn't really expecting to be attacked!" Dipper yelled back, leaping from under the table to a rack across the room with a single staff in it, the staff was plain and simple, there was a simple dark blue leather grip, but other than that it seemed just like a carved piece of oak wood. As Dipper neared it another blast of energy flew towards him coming from the only other staff in the room, held by Gideon, a piece of straight black wood an orb of glowing blue crystal was attached to the top by a ring of steel, another ring of steel was at the bottom of the staff.

The blast of energy flew in a bright straight beam of green-blue light across the room, where it crashed against Dipper's hand. Dipper's grip fell away to reveal a stone with a simple rune carved onto it, giving a smile he reached out and his staff flew into his hand. He squeezed his staff, and brought it downwards sending an arc of energy across the room towards Gideon where it was blocked by a wall of light. A flurry of attacks were used, each was a simple motion, a small movement, each contained vast amounts of power leaving the walls scorched and burnt. Dipper frowned before eventually crashing his staff down upon the floor, beneath him the stones shifted opening up right under Gideon, who lost his balance falling backwards, at the same time Dipper sent a blast of energy into Gideon knocking him against a wall.

Dipper walked over in long strides, a grin covering his face as he pointed the end of his staff at Gideon, "Yield."

"Fine, you win this time Pines." Gideon said reluctantly.

Dipper's grin spread and he held out his hand, "Honestly though you really did cheat, I was almost one hundred percent sure we dueled with staffs."

"Oh come on Pines you know in a real attack we wouldn't have time to get our staffs first."

"Right, which is why I've got runes on me in the first place, speaking of which I think I'll need to recharge a few."

"Now, Pines, with you back, and Candy missing from our meeting that hints that your darling sister is back in town. Might it be possible for me to-"

"Gideon, we've been over this, you talk to her not to me. As much as you've grown since that first summer, well, it's not my choice what she does, so you want to win over her heart, go win over her heart, but keep me out of it." Dipper replied.

"I see. Still, I think I've got a slight disadvantage winning your sister over seeing as she refuses to even speak to me when I'm in the room."

"Yeah, well that's partially your fault. Other than you being three years younger than her, that one is entirely the fault of time, but hey, it might go not badly."

"Yes Pines it might, but then again you had a crush on a girl three years older than you and look how that went."

"Right that's fair, but I did end up with a beautiful girl my age, so yeah?"

"You gave her hope when she was completely lost and alone, that's a bit unfair."

"Right, then hope that I die some horribly painful death completely unrelated to you so that you can comfort her, and eventually win her heart." Dipper replied with a grin.

* * *

Deep in the woods a boy moved through the shadow-y trees, his clothes were black, and green, a dark hood was pulled over his head, and a cloak wrapped around his form, in one hand there was a twisted old staff, at the top sat a single dark green gem that shimmered with a strange glow. As the boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen in age, reached the edge of the clearing he pulled down his hood to reveal his flashing green eyes, and his darkly colored hair. In the center of the clearing sat a single stone statue, a triangle with a single eye, it had arms and legs and a top hat, one hand was outstretched as if offering a deal. The boy smiled, picking up a small chisel and chipping away a piece of stone from the statue. He spoke in a powerful voice, however powerful it was it was soft though, it commanded attention and at the same time was comforting, "Yes, I rather think Bill Cipher, that you'll be rather useful."

* * *

 **Like I said before, this is just a story I'm doing, I'll update and some point in the future because I have some idea what I'm doing. The length however will probably be closer to my Star Wars Crossover than my Monster Fall's story.**

 **Anyway Review because that'll be fun, and by the way this isn't a reviving Bill Cipher story because I'm not a fan of those.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This Chapter has been long and difficult in making for me, I had ideas for future chapters, but the beginning was, thin, small, few transitions or ideas appeared to what should happen, and that is why it has taken so long for me to release a second chapter.**

 **Let's begin then.**

* * *

 **The Song of Ghosts:**

Grey white powder was dragged across the floor in a ring, chalk marks danced across the center of the circle, where the hooded figure placed the stone, a single piece of rock, pulling back their hood they breathed in, and the air around them spun, they started in a dark low chant, wind whispering across the ground, spinning around everything, the powder flew up into the air and the chalk turned from white to vibrant glowing green, the figures eyes burned the same green color. The stone in the center of it all changed, blue lightning crackled off the walls of the room, striking it numerous times, as energy rushed over everything.

 _I call upon Memories and Dream, Night and Bones, Blood and Dust. I call upon the Chaos of the ever-after and the Long-Before._

* * *

Dipper let out a gasping breath, his eyes wild, he grabbed Gideon's shoulder and started to cough. After a few slow intakes of breath he returned to normal. Gideon raised an eyebrow.

"Something's wrong." Gideon stated.

"Definitely. It was strange, it wasn't what I'm used to at least, it felt like Magic, but there was something else there as well. It was evil, I can tell you that."

"Sure. So I guess that means we've got to go and investigate that."

"Unfortunately so."

"Right then, what do we need to check out, and where is it?"

"I have an idea, follow me." Dipper said heading off into the forest.

* * *

Pacifica raised an eyebrow at Mabel who was wearing a sparkling pink piece of wool cloth over a bright-pink t-shirt, and a short skirt, the raised eyebrow was not at her fashion choices (for once), rather for Mabel's random leap into Gravity Falls lake, completely unprompted other than a brief comment about how fun swimming would be that day from Candy.

That however was not unusual for Mabel, Candy's sudden shudder was however unusual. Wendy was at that moment nervously holding the hilt to her axe, which was unusual, but not in the world they lived in, there was every chance the lake would suddenly erupt and a monster would come flying out from beneath the surface.

"What's the matter?" Pacifica asked an eyebrow raised.

"I. Well, it's nothing but, something felt wrong." Candy answered, the petite dark-haired girl clearly had no interest in describing whatever the problem was.

"As in?" Pacifica asked, trying to gain further information.

"The air just felt cold for a moment ok?" Candy stated, turning away.

"Is this a magicky thing?" Wendy said with a sigh.

"It could be, but I'm sure Gideon and Dipper have it handled." Candy replied.

"If Gideon is involved he's probably the one who did it." Mabel commented reappearing from her sudden leap into the lake.

"As far as I'm aware Gideon hasn't done anything even resembling evil since Weirdmaggedon and that was years ago." Pacifica commented on the matter.

"A cheetah doesn't change its spots." Mabel countered.

"Listen I get that Gideon was a creep when he was younger, but people change, look at Pacifica, she used to be a jerk." Wendy commented, "Sorry Pacifica."

"No, you're right I was a jerk." Pacifica said nodding in agreement.

"Listen Mabel, I've known Gideon for a while now and he's never used dark magic since we started really practicing magic, sure he and Dipper will sometimes be competitive about things and will have little magic duels but they're never serious. Anyway I'm not even sure it was really dark magic."

* * *

The figure came to a rest after a couple of minutes of chanting, he examined the figure in front of him, not quite a figure, a small floating speck of a ghost, glowing blue. The triangle with just one eye blinked looking at the young man standing in front of it. Rather the almost childlike figure standing in front of it.

" _Ha hey kid what do you want?"_

"I want many things from you I simply want pieces of guidance and Wisdom."

" _Right Well you need to offer something in return, so what do you have?"_

"Oh you misunderstand, I'm not here to make a deal, I brought you here because you work for me."

" _Haha, funny kid, funny. Seriously you think you can make me do something for you?"_

"I'm certain of it, because your dead. You're just in the Spirit Plane, neither alive nor dead, only users of magic can even see you."

 _"Don't be stupid kid, Demons can't be ghosts either we-"_

"Yes yes I'm aware, you either fade into nothingness, or you make a deal with Axolotol, you did the latter, I can even show you where and when you were reborn, in what body, etc. You're not the real Bill Cipher is the thing, you're a couple of his memories bunched together into a vague idea of a soul."

" _Fine what do you want me to do then?"_

"Like I said all I want is your continuous advice, and I'm basically offering you your revenge on a silver platter."

" _Revenge against who?"_

"Dipper Pines."

* * *

The statue was centuries old, and yet brand new, sitting alone in the woods overgrown with moss and other lichen. Dipper examined it fearfully, he gave a sigh, "I was right, as usual."

"They took a part of the Cipher statue? Why?"

"I think they're trying to re-summon Cipher, or at least a part of him, they're trying to get his knowledge at least, and maybe even some of his power."

"Who would want that?"

"Someone who wants to know what they're going up against."

"Which is?"

"Probably us. All of us, Me, You, Mabel, Wendy, Pacifica, Robbie, et cetera."

"So the Cipher wheel symbols?"

"More importantly the ones who are still active, still young enough to cause a problem, Candy's probably going to be dragged into this as well, because well, if this person is coming after us, they want people who represent a threat to whatever dark magic they've got, and she's included."

"Then we better get moving."

* * *

The argument was still going when the humming started, the humming of a thousand bees, buzzing through the air, that's when they appeared, glowing violet creatures, that burnt the color of the darkest night sky, they seemed to cut through the air, and it didn't take long for the group to figure out they were hostile, and more importantly trying to kill them.

Mabel pulled a shortsword from her bag, it was made of bronze in a leaf-sword style similar to that of the ancient greeks. As expected it was a gift from Dipper, a boy who somehow managed to make everything foolishly protective, like many of the Bracelets and gifts Pacifica had received all of which had some form of magic. The difference was that Mabel was the sort of person who got a sword and decided she had found true love.

"You brought the sword with you? I thought we weren't monster fighting!" Pacifica yelled across the field as she dodged a spire of the dark creatures.

"This is Gravity Falls what were the actual chances that we weren't going to fight monsters?" Mabel replied as she swung the sword at a column of the creatures that had shot right past her.

Candy had pulled out a few runestones and charms, that she always kept around and Wendy had the sharpest axe in the world, in almost literal sense. Dipper had given Wendy a blade sharpener designed to make the blade infinitely sharp with one scrape of it against the blade.

Once more Dipper had a thing for practical and mystical presents.

There was a brief moment at which Pacifica thought she was going to die as a group of the strange buzzing creatures slammed into her, only to find them fading away into golden dust as almost every rune on every piece of jewelry she was wearing glowed. Dipper was a little overprotective some of the time. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, caution could be wise, especially when you were bound to constantly run into armies of evil monsters and people that would try and kill you.

* * *

 _"We're not alone Kid."_ Bill said with some certainty

 _"Indeed your not."_ The dark-haired woman said stepping out of the shadows, she too was pale and ghostlike, however her ghost was a vibrant green, surrounded by purple, darkness shimmered around her as she moved.

"Bill Cipher allow me to introduce you to Morgan Le Fey. The most Powerful Sorceress of all time, at least, this is a part of her, a memory of her darker half, I retrieved it from some old tomb in Wales." The young Sorcerer said with a smile, "Now you wanted to see what your reincarnation was like correct. I've studied up a bit already, and I can tell you they lived a tormented life, they also hurt a large number of people, so I'm sure you'll like him."

The sorcerer waved a hand across a bowl of dark water, which shimmered into life, showing a small child being born, then raised up. Old Latin words danced through the air over the bubbling cry of the child.

" _I don't speak Latin Kid._ " Cipher said with a sound of disappointment.

"Well you did, actually as a demon you understood most languages, as a memory however that ability is gone with most others, it is of no matter, his name was or will be, or is, depending on how you look at things, Nero. He had vague memories of his life as you, and it destroyed him, he set a city on fire."

" _I was going to burn an entire world to dust, and I have done it before, what's a city to me?"_

"Very little I suspect."

"Now how do I destroy Dipper Pines and his allies?"

 _"Pinetree and his friends are pathetic, they care too much about each other."_ Bill answered, leaning back and floating across the room.

"So I should destroy the weakest link?" The sorcerer asked.

" _Exactly kid. That or exploit them, that girl, Shooting Star, is easy to trick, and control, she's selfish, and childish. Promise her something and she'll take it._ " Cipher answered.

" _Because that went so well for you._ " Morgana commented.

" _Oh shut it, Open-Eye._ " Bill replied.

"Silence you two, I need to think." The sorcerer said, with a sigh.

" _Whatever you say Thorn-Staff."_ Cipher replied.

* * *

"What now then?" Gideon asked looking across the clearing.

"Now? Well we need to follow this guy whoeve-" Dipper stopped mid-sentence, "Pacifica is being attacked."

"You're sure?" Gideon asked, nervously.

"Certain, a bunch of her runes just went off, which means someone is attacking her. We can deal with this tomorrow."

"Ok then, I really thought this was more important." Gideon said with a pause.

"All I know is that Pacifica is under attack, and whatever it did it set off a bunch of her defense runes which means that most likely she's defenseless, and I also know that she's with my Sister, and Candy who if I need to remind you only has a couple rune stones. Along with Wendy, so I think I'm right to worry." Dipper replied.

"Maybe, but they're not incompetent, they can handle whatever this is, we can still-"

"No, we go after this thing tomorrow, I'm saving my friends today."

* * *

Pacifica watched as Dipper and Gideon burst through a small portal, staffs at the ready, blocking the shadowy-wasp like monsters attacking the girls, with small shields of light that forced the creatures to dissipate. Mabel let out a cry of success, slashing through the oncoming hordes of the creatures once more.

"Good job Bro-bro. I was sure you hadn't given up on us."

"Right right, we were investigating something else." Dipper said, looking around and sending a small blast of light into the Shadow-Bugs a blast which exploded, burning through them in bright blue light. Gideon was putting up quite a good offensive as well, sending slashing beams of light cutting through the shadow-bug swarms, and sending them flying away from the girls. After a minute or two the creatures were completely dealt with, disappearing from sight. All except one which sped by Pacifica's shoulder leaving a slight burn, it was enough to anger Dipper, barely enough, but enough.

"Those weren't just normal monsters they were-" Dipper started

"Sent by someone, I know." Candy finished.

"What do you mean sent by someone, sent by who?" Pacifica asked, clasping her shoulder.

"Let me look at that." Dipper said walking over, and pulling a runestone, which filled the area with a light blue light, the pain eased, and the burn lessened, "It should heal normally."

"Ok, but you didn't answer my question, sent by who?" Pacifica repeated.

"Just some dark magician or something." Dipper answered, brushing it off.

Gideon raised an eyebrow and Dipper glared at him.

"Right, if that's all we should talk with Candy." Dipper said.

"Why?" Candy asked, looking at the other two magicians.

"We're supposed to stop Dark Magicians and stuff right?" Gideon said.

"Exactly, which is why we need to talk in private." Dipper said.

"That's not suspicious at all." Pacifica said with a snort.

After Gideon, Candy, and Dipper had left, Wendy spoke looking around at the other two girl, "Dipper's keeping something hidden."

"Right well that was obvious to everyone." Pacifica said.

"Yeah, yeah, the weird part is that Gideon didn't want to keep it hidden." Wendy said.

"What do you mean?" Mabel asked blinking.

"The glare, Dipper glared at Gideon after he said it was just some Dark Magician. Gideon raised an eyebrow as well, this is way bigger than Dipper is telling us." Wendy stated.

"Dipper doesn't keep secrets, not really, not unless he's scared." Pacifica said.

"And what would scare Dipper?" Wendy asked.

"Everything, it's not like my brother is some badass or anything, he's literally frightened of everything." Mabel said with a shrug.

"No, he's not Mabel, sure when he was a twelve year old kid he was, but he's not anymore, he's grown up a lot since then, and he's seriously not scared of that much." Wendy said.

"Wendy's right, Dipper can get nervous and be awkward, but to actually scare him, it's got to be big, I mean he faced a Demon when he was twelve, there's not a lot that can scare you after that. I would know." Pacifica said.

"Right, right. But maybe it just wasn't as big a deal as we think it was, maybe he just thinks he, Candy, and Gideon can handle it." Mabel said waving it away.

"Maybe." Wendy said, but it was clear she didn't believe that at all.

* * *

 **That would be the end of this chapter. I apologize for the bad Names for the Characters, meaning the Names that Bill hands out, it's honestly because I hadn't thought about it at all.**

 **Open-Eye was because she could use magic and was aware of a lot of the world.**

 **Thorn-Staff because Thorns are generally seen as a corruption of nature, so the use of a Thorn Staff, or the imagery of it is a mix of a corrupt piece of Nature with Magic, trying to create the image of Dark Magic.**

 **Anyway please review, and I hope you enjoyed the second Chapter of this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the long break, being honest this story just doesn't hold as much interest for me as it did when I started.**

 **Writing it just takes more energy than I ever expected. One possibility is that this story will just be shorter than I thought it would be, another option is that I just update really slowly compared to literally everything else.**

 **I am interested in what you would prefer.**

 **I'm kind of interested in other projects.**

 **However I want you to know that means probably choosing one over another...**

* * *

 **A Real Heart Stealer**

The package came on a Wednesday, bright pink and wrapped in red ribbon, it sat on the mystery shack's porch for several hours that morning, before finally Mabel found it.

Written across the box, in elegant eye catching font were the words, 'For Mabel, from your secret admirer'.

Mabel giggled at the thought, opening the box with the care and tenderness that Fox shows to a hen it has caught, inside awaited a small beautiful locket, marked in the shape of the heart.

* * *

Elsewhere, Dipper found himself sitting around the stone table, sitting in the heart of the young wizards headquarters. Soon he was joined by Candy, who was dressed in dark red and green garments, carrying a staff of pale birch, topped in a small piece of old bone, carved into a crescent.

Gideon was there as well with his own staff. The group stood silently for a moment, before Candy started.

"Why aren't we telling Mabel?"

"I'm with Candy here, I mean it doesn't make much sense to me." Gideon added.

"Because they'll want to help, and that's going to get them hurt."

"But if the Sorcerer is targeting us won't they already be in danger?" Candy pointed out, leaning on her staff.

"We can deal with the Sorcerer ourselves, as long as nothing has happened in the last hour, everybody should be fine."

"Sooo, you're going to keep your sister and your friends in the dark so that they don't help us?" Gideon said, chortling, "Pines, you're a dumb cookie sometimes."

"It'll be fine, he can't attack most of the places I care about." Dipper said, rising from his chair.

"Same here." Candy muttered.

"We all know there are other ways to attack people."

"None that are easy to use." Dipper said, grabbing his staff from the ground, "Anyway, we're going to stop him before it comes to that."

* * *

The Sorcerer in question at that moment found himself sitting in a cave, talking to ghosts. Each a light glow, dancing in and out of the dreamscape.

"I think I've found you a knee body Morgane, presuming you're interested."

" _I might be, depends what you've got._ " Morgane answered, her voice a soft whisper that barely made it through the soft noises of the cave..

" _Ooh when do I get a meat bag, kid?"_ Cipher asked his voice filled with sadistic, yet childish excitement.

"When you've earned one Cipher. So far all you've done is told me to target the girl, which I've successfully done."

" _Her body? It's probably filled with poisons of all kind. Though the defenses in place around her might make controlling her, interesting."_ Morgane said, a grin spreading across her ghostly face.

" _Whaaat! If she gets shooting star, I want Pinetree. Though I suppose it's only fun if I can make the others watch."_

The Sorcerer gave a sigh turning, "Enough of this. When the work of the Druids and these new law keepers is undone, you will each have plenty of fun yourselves. Morgane you'll have your kingdom, and Cipher, you'll have yours."

" _Great, not that I understood much of it."_ Cipher grumbled.

"Morgane, if you could take me through the ritual once more."

" _It's based in old Faerie Magic, the kind I used in my days upon the earth, there are elements of Demon magic that will make it even harder to use. The two in combination is rare, it in theory should shatter the old laws. Magic will poor from the old sources, the Faerie gates and the Hell Gates will open once more, and magic shall be free."_

"The risks?"

" _There are always risks. The greatest risk is self-destruction, but that is a price for freedom."_

"You're right of course." The Sorcerer said quietly, his face hidden in shadows, as he gripped his staff.

* * *

Pacifica found herself in a beautiful dress, with perfect makeup, and beautiful earrings, next to her mother and father who were also perfect, with each grey hair dyed perfectly and there wrinkles hidden behind just enough make up.

She smiled widely as the camera flashed, and she hated every second of it. Which was just about normal now.

A few years ago she would have enjoyed it, but now it was all so obviously fake, so childishly designed to make the world seem perfect that it disgusted her.

She wasn't on good terms with her parents, anyone she cared about knew, her parents knew as well, but they were involved so it almost felt pointless to add them. It had become somewhat obvious she was trying to avoid them, with how little time she was actually spending at her own home.

Some people, when gossiping among friends, claimed that it was the financial decline that caused the family to have problems, yet finances had somehow become something Pacifica cared about very little. The arguments were about her choice in friends and for that matter boys.

Her relationship with Dipper had ceased to be a secret since two or so days after they started dating, because a female friend related to Dipper in someway, who's name will go unmentioned to protect her, was bad at keeping secrets.

Also apparently because of a betting pool.

Still, since they had started dating Pacifica couldn't help but feel more relaxed about her life. She couldn't explain why, but she knew things would turn out for the best. The fact that her boyfriend had magic that could create food and other materials helped dissuade the panic.

There were always going to be problems though, Dipper's way of idiotically trying to protect everybody by telling them nothing was part of that. It wasn't hard to tell most of the time. Just the day before he had lied about the attack on Pacifica, Mabel, Wendy, and Candy.

Mabel and Wendy hadn't picked up on it, but Pacifica had. Mabel, because Mabel was often too trusting and too illogical to think about it. Wendy because she was too used to the weird things randomly attacking them explanation.

But Pacifica knew that Dipper had only told the other magic users about it. Which meant it was dangerous and as stupid as Dipper could be, he was capable of handling magical threats better than her.

So she wouldn't say anything about it, not unless she needed to.

* * *

Dipper reentered the shack to find Mabel sitting on the couch staring out into space, her eyes wide in a trance like state, her hand clutching the necklace around her neck. Dipper paused looking over at her, "I thought I hid all the Smiledip."

Mabel turned, her mouth changing into a smile, not the normal bright smile Mabel gave, but a smug grin, which grew wide across her face, her hands moving to be folded together, then she spoke, the voice was entirely hers, but the tone and syntax were so entirely unmabel-like it was strange, "Hello Dipper Pines, it is wonderful to see you, face to face."

Dipper blinked, then gripped the staff in his hand pointing it towards Mabel, "You're the sorcerer!"

"Very clever of you, though you'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me."

"Where's Mabel?"

"Mabel? Oh she's right in front of you, at least in body, her soul however, her soul is in my possession."

"How? There are protection spells that should alert me if she's attacked!"

"But she wasn't attacked, she accepted a gift, she took the spell willingly." The Empty-Mabel said, still smug.

"So what do you want?"

"Can't a sorcerer just empty the body of your twin to speak to you?"

"No."

"Fair enough. I want your staffs."

Dipper paused looking at the object in question, "What do you mean my staffs, I've only got one."

"All of your staffs. Your druids will hand them over to me."

Dipper froze for a moment, but as it passed he nodded, "You'll have mine, I'll see if the others will help."

"Good, have a nice afternoon Dipper." The Empty Mabel said, before it once more fell cold, slumping back in the chair.

* * *

There was a long pause around the stone table, the three wizards gathered all seemed to be listening to the movements of the wind and the slow breaths of each other.

"Soooo, you're telling us that you got your sister's soul stolen, by not warning her about the dark sorcerer, and because of that we are probably all going to lose our staffs?" Candy asked narrowing her eyes at Dipper.

"That about sums it up."

"Pines, you're an idiot." Gideon said with a sigh.

"Yeah."

"Sooo, when are we giving him our staffs?"

"He didn't tell me, but I guess he'll inform us somehow."

"Great, so we're waiting?" Gideon said, anger dancing in his tone.

"No, we're preparing, I'm grabbing Wendy, she knows the woods better than any of us."

"So we're using her to help us plan a trap?" Candy asked.

"Kinda, I don't have it all worked out yet, but it will be great."

* * *

Thorn-Staff sat, his eyes closed, his voice whispering and cold, the words of an old language burnt across the tip of his tongue, a thousand voices moved in sequence with him, matching his every movements of the lips and tongue. Beyond all that there was the darkness, it lay beneath everything, it sung in the gaps where words broke and where punctuation found itself.

There the shadows sang.

That was magic old and powerful, chaos bound in delicate chains, which spun a thousand realities to life.

Then there came the gong, the loud and powerful crash of the instrument echoing off the walls, with a smile the eyes of the Sorcerer snapped awake.

* * *

"How can I help you Dipper."

"When do we meet."

"Let's say Dusk, as for the location, let's meet at the Statue."

There was no need to ask which statue, in Gravity Falls there was only one Statue that mattered, a statue now missing a piece, a statue forged of a demon frozen into stone, hand ever extended as if in readying for a handshake.

* * *

In the setting sun one could almost see the life in the statues eyes, a last dancing flicker of the dreadful chaotic flame which had dwelt within the creature so long. Dipper stood waiting, Candy, Wendy, and Gideon at his side, Mabel stood behind them, her eyes blank and trance like as usual.

Dipper did not hear them approach through the woods, but never the less they appeared, the dark haired boy who seemed to Dipper no older than him, simply smiled a cold smug smile upon seeing Dipper.

"Your staffs, then I'll return her soul." the sorcerer said his voice cold against the warm summer air, his form all black and green against the dancing pinks, yellows, and reds of the sunset nearby, the stars beginning to spark into life to the east.

"Not going to happen, if we give you our staffs we can't make sure you go through with the bargain." Dipper answered.

The sorcerer sighed, "Very well, one of you provide me with your staff, then I'll give you her soul. I'll take the rest of your staffs after her soul is returned."

Dipper nodded tossing his staff to the ground in front of the sorcerer who smiled, and then released from his hand a soft green gold glow, which danced through the air like dust, slipping into Mabel's mouth and nose, her eyes tightened then blinked, looking around at the environment as if to absorb data.

"Okay bro-bro you got some explaining to do." Mabel said, as she examined the sorcerer in front of them, "Who's the guy."

"He very briefly stole your soul. We've got it back now so don't worry about anything, my dear." Gideon said grinning at Mabel, who merely shrugged.

The sorcerer smiled, "Satisfied? Now for the rest of your staffs."

Dipper grinned, "Not happening!"

The other two magicians sent bolts of magical energy at the sorcerer, who countered them with a wave of his own staff, sighing a shadow leapt from his staff obscuring everything. The sound of wood snapping burst through the air, and upon the disappearance of the shadow they found Dipper's staff broken, and the orb at the top of Gideon's staff slightly cracked.

"Well that backfired." Dipper said aloud, examining the staff broken at his feet, "It'll take at least a week to even repair this, and I'm not sure I know all the right spells."

"It'll be fine right? I mean I'm back in my body, we're all alive. We can deal with it tomorrow." Mabel said grinning.

"Right." Dipper said, his voice soft and tired as he looked around to see where the sorcerer had disappeared to.

"It'll be fine man, let's head back to the shack and save any more investigating for tomorrow."

Dipper nodded once more, picking up the pieces of wood that had once been his magical focus. The sorcerer smiled as he walked back to the cave he had established himself in, clutching at a singular splinter of the wooden staff that had once been Dippers.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long long time between updates.**

 **I am getting this up literally right after finishing it, but there was probably a solid month between starting and finishing this chapter.**


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